


Advocate

by Vashti (tvashti)



Series: Midnight City [8]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Genre: 2012 Twisted Shorts Ficathon, Character(s) of Color, Christian Character, Crossover, Gen, Mentors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-24
Updated: 2014-09-24
Packaged: 2018-02-17 23:13:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2326604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tvashti/pseuds/Vashti
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>But who speaks for the <strike>trees</strike> slayers?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Advocate

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [](http://twistedshorts.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://twistedshorts.livejournal.com/)**twistedshorts** August 2012 fic-a-thon. It almost killed me, but it was a blast! Also, this dips into comic book territory for the Buffyverse b/c that's what worked best for the story. But I haven't gotten very far into the comics so if it feels like it's been painted with broad strokes...yeah...

_"Rrrrring-ring...Ring-ring.... Anybody home?"_

John left the medical area to stand in front of the cave’s oversized computer screen-turned-phone. "Selina?"

 _"Detective Blake! How lovely to see you again. No...really,"_ she said, openly ogling his shirtless chest. _"Were you always hiding that under those cheap leisure jackets?"_

"What? The tape holding my ribs together? I didn’t want to offend anyone."

Selina huffed, but stopped staring at his chest.

"So why are you calling instead of Bruce?"

Smiling, Selina said, _"Because I know something that he doesn’t."_ Her smile widened. _"Isn’t that a nice switch."_

John grunted. Turning away from the computer, he said, "What can I do for you, Miss Kyle?" He was looking for his shirt, unsure where he’d dropped it in the gloomy dark.

_"Oh come on, Detective. We’re both dating the same man now, don’t you think we should be on a first name basis?"_

Ignoring the comment, John continued to search.

_"Oh all right. Bruce reminded me that I never told you where I left his motorcycle."_

Frowning, though she couldn’t see it, John said, "I thought you took it with you."

_"To Italy? What was I going to do, put it in my overnight?"_

"And what makes you think it’s still where you left it?" Finding his shirt, John winced and pulled it over his head, turning toward Selina as he did so.

 _"Because Bruce has a_ very _nice setting that makes it growl if anyone unexpected gets too close."_

John shook his head. "That might work for a bunch of teenagers, but not a determined thief. Especially if it’s been sitting there for a year and a half."

 _"Well..."_ She twirled the end of her ponytail around her finger. _"It might also give an unauthorized user a nasty shock if they tried to sit on it."_

John sighed.

_"Why are you mad at me? It’s not my delightfully innovative anti-theft feature."_

"I’ve been back in Gotham for almost six months, Selina, and I know for a fact that Bruce was in contact with the Watchers Council while I was training. You couldn’t have said something sooner?"

She shrugged, looking serious for the first time. _"I for_ got _. Did you miss the part where I said that Bruce reminded me about this? Tell me, how exactly did you become a detective?"_

John ignored the jibe. "Thank you, Selina. I appreciate the information."

She grinned. _"I’m sure you do. So are going to give it to your little sidekick? How’s that working out?"_ Her eyes widened at his obvious incredulity. _"What, I can’t be curious? Think of it as female solidarity, if that makes you feel better. If she’s there I can just ask her for myself..."_ Selina moved left and right, trying see around John into the cave. _"No fair hiding the sidekick. Auntie Selina doesn’t bite."_

John snorted. "Unless it suits you."

_"Well..."_

"And _Sarah_ is still at work."

_"That’s right. Bruce gave her a little part time job. How generous. But who cares about that, I asked you how’s the sidekick thing going for you. Bruce can find out about the interns if I’m interested. Ever. I want to know what it’s like not working alone. Enjoying it?"_

Still wary, John shrugged. "It’s all right. There’s not a lot that she does that I couldn’t do myself, but it does save me a few hours a night since she can analyze while I patrol."

Eyes wide and mouth open, Selina sputtered. _"Analyze? While you patrol? Why isn’t this Sarah person on patrol, too? Why am I bothering to tell you the whereabouts of a bike you obviously don’t need."_

"It’s my bike."

_"Which you don’t need if your sidekick spends her nights punching up a keyboard instead of bad guys. What kind of sidekick is this Watcher’s Council producing?"_

John smirked. "Slayers."

 _"Is that what you kids are calling it these days."_ Before John could protest, Selina held up a hand to stop him. _"Look, I’m not telling you how to run your hero-internship program, but if she’s actual hero material and you’ve got her pushing paper then you’re making a big mistake. You should let her do whatever it is she does."_ Waving a hand, she rolled her eyes and added, _"Within reason. Otherwise, she’s going to turn on you."_

"Sarah would never--"

_"Do you know how many dead people have started sentences with that phrase? Don’t be one of those idiots. Bruce would want to go back for your funeral and we still haven’t gotten to the Parthenon."_

John chuckled.

 _"Funny though that may sound, I’m serious about using your baby Bat to her full potential. Whatever that is. What did you say she was? A slayer?"_ Selina waved the words away. _"Anyway, about that motorcycle..."_

***

"Honey, I’m home," Sarah called out as she landed in the pool beyond the waterfall. "How was class? Have you made any more friends? Get any work in on the rings?" The platform and catwalk to the cave’s stone floor rose beneath her. She grinned. "That never gets old."

John was waiting for her at the end of the catwalk. He pulled her into a quick, one-armed hug. "Class was fine. I do have a new stalker on the message boards, thanks. And, yes, I did get some work done on the rings...and the parallel bars."

"Nice! Upper body strength all the way! So are we going to tackle that thing with the missing college students? Too many people have disappeared for it to be coincidence."

John agreed, following Sarah with his eyes as she got settled for the long night. "Sarah...I want to step up our sparing and gymnastics training."

"Sure, okay. Tonight?" She turned to him. "I don’t think you have time."

John shook his head. "You’re probably right. Don’t you want to know why?"

"Mmm..." Sarah’s eyes rolled up toward the ceiling and the bats languishing there. "You’ve finally come to terms with your woeful inadequacies?"

"Ha ha."

Sarah smiled.

"I’ve come to terms with you being a slayer and what that means."

"Huh?"

Cracking a lopsided smile, John said, "I want you to come out on patrol with me."

"What?" Sarah shook herself. "Do you even know what you’re saying? I slay things. It’s in the name. People are not things—I’m not allowed to slay them."

"Good, because I don’t want you to. So part of our sparing will be working on your self control and ability to moderate the amount of force you use against a given opponent."

"You’re serious."

"Aren’t I always?"

Squealing, Sarah bounded to him and threw her arms around John’s middle. "I love you!" She squeezed once, then again, holding him for a heartbeat longer than strictly necessary. "Thank you, thank you, thank you so much! I don’t even want to know why you changed your mind, just in case you change it back."

Grinning, John said, "I’m not changing my mind."

"Ha!"

"You’ll need a costume, and a mask. I think I already have something that might fit you. If not I’m sure it can be modified."

Sarah nodded enthusiastically.

"The mask might be a problem. I don’t have anything really suitable for you, but I’m sure I can modify something over the next--"

"Oh. Oh! I saw the perfect mask the other day. Hmm..."

John frowned. "What? What’s wrong? Is it upstairs with the boys from St. Swithens?"

Sarah shook her head. "It’s just that...well...it’s a prototype that Mr. Fox is working on for R&D and, um... How would you like to come visit me at my job tomorrow?"

Fin[ite]


End file.
